Car-coupling.



R. B. GHALMERS.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAB.29,1909.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

' i 1* i i ROBERT B. GHALMER-S, OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.

cnn-cournme.

Application filed March 29, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. OHALMERS, citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Greene and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention pertains to car couplings such as are designed more particularly for use in connection with mine cars and are commonly known as mine car hitchings; and it has for its object to provide a compact and strong car coupling or hitching, embodying such a construction that there is no liability of the cars becoming casually uncoupled, and one adapted to prevent the cars bumping together and also adapted to accommodate itself to sharp curves and in that way avoid breakage and accidental displacement of any of its parts.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure l is a plan View of the coupling constituting the best practical embodiment of my invention that I as yet have devised. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the coupling. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of the coupling heads removed.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to which:

A A are draw bars designed to be connected to cars, more especially mine cars, in the conventional or any other approved manner, and preferably, though not necessarily, with the assistance of binders such as B.

C C are the heads of my novel coupling, and D is the section of chain for elfecting connection between these said heads. The heads C are identical in construction and therefore a detailed description of the one shown at the right of Figs. 1 and 2 and in Fig. 3 will sufiice to impart a definite understanding of both heads. The head referred to is formed of one piece of cast steel or other material consonant with its purpose, and is made up of a horizontally disposed portion a adapted to rest under the draw bar A and against the outer end of the adjacent binder B, and uprights Z) rising from the outer end of the horizontal portion a, and having recesses c in their rear edges adapted Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1909.

Serial No. 486,552.

to receive the outer end of the draw bar A, whereby lateral swinging of the head on the draw bar is precluded, as well as the liability of the head being displaced from the draw bar in a vertical direction, both of which features obviously contribute to the strength and durability of the coupling as a whole.

The horizontally disposed portion a of the head C is connected with the draw bar A by a rivet E, and the uprights b are separated by a longitudinal central, intervening space 6, and are preferably shaped as illustratedthat is to say, are tapered or inclined downwardly and inwardly at their upper ends, as indicated by 6 and have their inner sides 7' and their outer sides 9 concaved in order to form the inner and outer concave seats for the alternate chain links, as best shown in Fig. 1.

The section of chain D is preferably of the ordinary straight type comprising links the alternate ones of which are disposed at right angles to each other, and is preferably made up of five links, as shown; the end and middle links being disposed horizontally, and the links intermediate the end and middle links being disposed vertically. From this it follows that when it is desired to couple two cars equipped with the novel heads C, it is simply necessary to bring the heads into the relative arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then drop the chain D into position so that the middle link thereof rests intermediate the uprights b, and the terminal links rest at the inner sides of the said uprights, while the vertically disposed links occupy the spaces between the uprights b of the heads. As will be readily understood this operation may be quickly and easily accomplished, and yet when the chain section is arranged as stated, relative to the heads C, there is no liability of the chain section being raised or otherwise casually displaced, and hence no liability of the cars becoming accidentally disconnected. It will also be manifest that the interposition of the middle, horizontally disposed link between the contiguous concave faces of the uprights Z) enables the said middle link to hold the heads C and the cars apart in the proper manner, and also enables said middle link to swing between the said contiguous faces of the uprights b and in the vertical intermediate links, with the result that the coupling is adapted to pass through sharp curves without danger of its being broken or sub jected to strain. or accidentally disconnected from either of the heads 0. r

In addition to the practical advantages hereinbefore ascribed to my novel coupling, it will be readily understood that the coupling is simple and inexpensive in construction and is susceptible of being quickly and easily installed and used to advantage on mine cars such as at present in use.

While I prefer as before stated to employ a chain section comprising five links, I do not desire to be understood as confining myself to the specific number of links in the chain section inasmuch as under some conditions, the chain section can be of any length in order to adapt the coupling as a whole for use in those mines in which the curves in the track are extraordinarily sharp.

As before stated the construction herein illustrated and described constitutes the best practical embodiment of my invention of which I am aware, but it is obvious that in the future practice of the invention, such changes in the form, construction and relative arrangement of parts may be made as do not depart from the scope of my invention as defined in the claims appended.

The beveled or inclined surfaces 6 of the uprights Z) have for their purpose to permit of the upright links of the chain section being readily removed from between the uprights when it is desired to uncouple the cars.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. The combination in a car coupling, of a head comprising a horizontal portion, uprights fixed to and rising from said horizontal portion and separated by an intervening space which is open at its upper end, and a chain section having horizontally disposed links adapted to bear against the inner sides and outer sides, respectively, of the uprights, and also having a vertical link in termediate the said horizontal links and adapted to be dropped into the said space between the uprights.

2. In a car coupling,-the combination with a draw bar adapted to be connected with a car; of a head formed 1n one piece, and comprising a horizontally disposed portion ar-.

ranged below the outer portion of the draw bar, and uprights rising from said horizontally disposed portion and separated by an intervening space and having recesses in the lower ends of their rear edges receiving the outer end of the draw bar, and means extending through and connecting the draw= bar and the horizontally disposed portion of the head.

3. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw bar adapted to be connected with a car, a head formed in one piece and comr1s1n a'horizontall dis osed' ortion arranged below the outer portion of the draw bar and uprights rising from said horizon-.

tally disposed portion and separated by an intervening space and having recesses in the zontal portion and separated byan intervening space which is open at its upper end and having the adjacent sides of their upper ends beveled inwardly and downwardly and also having their inner sides and outer sides concaved, and a chain section engaged with said uprights and having an upright link resting in the space betweenthe uprights, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set nesses. 7

ROBERT B. CHALMERS. Witnesses:

EARL G. MORGAN, B. S. EDDY.

my hand in presence of two sub cribing wit- 

